Congress is responsible for passing annual appropriations to fund government agencies. If Congress neglects to pass funding bills, government agencies are forced to shut down. Follow all of Federal News Radio's government shutdown coverage from the past several years.

Shutdown whack-a-mole and the interagency

This column was originally published on Jeff Neal's blog, ChiefHRO.com, and was republished here with permission
from the author.

Since the shutdown began, there has been a lot of press talking about efforts to
open parts of some agencies or specific programs. Great examples are the death
benefits for families of fallen troops, continuation of other benefits for
veterans, opening national monuments, and others.

The common thread driving them
is public outcry over the effects the shutdown is having on programs people care
about. Expect to see more now that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sending
most of its staff home. Every day we will read more stories about the newest part
of government to run out of money or the previously unknown effects the shutdown
is having.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Neal

Much like playing whack-a-mole, the effort is unsustainable. The bad press will be
coming too fast for the Congress to react to each problem individually. Part of
the problem is that every program has a constituent somewhere. Another equally big
problem is the nature of government itself.

One of the lessons government employees have to learn as they move up the ladder
is how to operate in what is often referred to as "the interagency." The
interagency is that realm between agencies where you have to work to get things
done.

Government issues are often so complex that it is common to see them cross
agency lines. The only way to get the job done is for multiple organizations to
come together. The interagency is particularly critical in the national and
homeland security world. That world is made up of hundreds of thousands of people
in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, along with others from
the CIA, the White House, the Treasury and more.

Being able to operate in the
interagency is absolutely essential if you want to get something done. We train
people on the interagency. We stress the need to network, develop contacts, and
learn how to operate when more than just your agency is involved. We do that
because it is the only way to get big things done.

Much of my work at the
Department of Homeland Security involved working with other agencies. Operating
entirely within your department is not possible for a great many people.

Imagine what happens when parts of the interagency are shut down. What happens
when you need essential information to get your job done, and the only person who
has the information you need is not there because they are shut down?

Much like
taking one wheel off a car, the ability to get big things done is hampered or
brought to a halt.

Opening parts of the government here and there may end the
public uproar over them, but it still doesn't solve the problem of the
consequences of shutting down the interagency. We will see crucial issues where
the right people to solve the problem simply are not available when we need them.

Whack-a-mole is a fun game, but it is not a strategy for governing.

Copyright 2013 by Jeff Neal. All rights reserved.

Jeff Neal is founder of the blog, ChiefHRO.com, and a senior vice president for ICF
International, where he leads the Organizational Research, Learning and
Performance practice. Before coming to ICF, Neal was the chief human capital
officer at the Department of Homeland Security and the chief human resources
officer at the Defense Logistics Agency.